Saaaaay what! Pancakes at a spring?? Yup they out did themselves ! The pancakes were better then actual spring, i couldn't even see where the water was springing out of, seems off limits to snorkeling just divers. -.- read more

It's run down, incl the restaurant, but the natural beauty of the spring & river shine through. The eco boat tour is fairly steep at $14 pp. Kayak rentals are comparable but you also have the entry fee. Tons of noise pollution from planes, boats, and trains. There is a small museum and exhibits scattered around. Small bathrooms and only one outdoor shower :/ Low priced concessions is nice. Lots of picnic tables & pavilions. There is something for everyone and you can easily spend an entire day here and yet have to come back to see more. read more

DeLeon Spring State Park - Boat rental info. You pay after your rental since sometimes you don't know how long you'll be out there. - Parks Near Me - De Leon Springs, Florida

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This place is awesome. We have been coming here for about 16 years and love it. The restaurant has delicious and Jones was a fantastic server. I do wish they would put the playground back for the kids but this is a great place. read more

What a super fun day we had at the De Leon Springs! The weather was perfect and the water was crystal clear and cool! It wasn't overly crowded either for a weekday in the summer. I'm sure on a weekend it wouldn't have been so enjoyable. This was our first time here so we weren't sure exactly what to pack. But next time we will be more prepared. They have tubes that you can rent, but I'd rather buy my own. They allow all sorts of water toys, floats, etc. There was 1 lifeguard on duty who kept a keen eye out on the swimmers and was friendly. Definitely bring: Sunscreen Towels Beach blanket Snorkels & masks Floats/tubes Beach umbrellas Optional: water shoes. There are some rocks and large tree roots that we stubbed our toes on a few times. My only complaint is that the park allows smoking which is just absolutely disgusting! We actually had to move bc some wrinkly old fat women came and sat down next to our spot and started smoking. I approached the park rangers about it but they said unfortunately it was allowed and they couldn't stop them. Seriously thinking of starting a petition to have this changed. We had planned on taking the boat tour but once we saw the price of $14 per person we changed our minds. That's a little much when you consider how many children some families have. Children under 4 ride free. The entrance fee to the park is $6 and then they do have canoes, kayaks and paddle boats that you can rent per the hour. We did eat brunch at the sugar milk restaurant and that was a lot of fun. read more

After out Father's Day weekend visit to Deleon Springs I'm going to bump them up to a 5 star park. It is one of our favorite state parks and one we most often visit, despite the fact that it is an hour and a half away! Yes, the crowds can be annoying but that isn't the park's fault. The surroundings are gorgeous, the swimming clear, and those pancakes!!! We LOVE the make your own pancakes at the Olde Spanish Sugar Mill. On our last trip we rented a canoe for $10/hour from a friendly employee and saw 2 gators as well as plenty of birds and fish. This park is a must-visit for and Central Floridian! read more

DeLeon Spring State Park - Entrance - Parks Near Me - De Leon Springs, Florida

Beautiful state park with 72 degree spring and a sugar mill restaurant where you can make your own pancakes and eggs on a hot griddle in the middle of the table. This park also offers several nature trails, kayak rentals, boat tours, swimming, and fishing. We visited in the middle of the week, so it wasn't overcrowded. read more

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First time visiting a springs in the state of Florida and it did not disappoint. The water was a beautiful as you can imagine and has barrier where alligators cannot fit through so your safe in the water. The park has plenty of beautiful trees which offers shade for a nice picnic. There is also the Old Mills Restaurant where you can cook pancakes at the table which is a fun experience for the entire family. Besides the pancakes my hubby and I ordered sandwiches and they were delicious. It was a little hard to find because the GPS was not cooperating but, it was worth the find. Can't wait to go back. read more

Went here over Christmas with my family. It is pretty and the short trails were nice. However it was extremely busy and when we got there at 12 noon there was a 4 hour wait for the pancake house. So we signed up for a boat tour, waited around for another hour for that then was told 10 mins before it was supposed to leave that it was not going out due to bad weather coming (it never rained). We then took our name off the pancake house list and ended up going to downtown Deland to the Half Wall Bar which ended up being great. Cooking your own pancakes in a NON air conditioned building was never going to be great anyway. Would go back for trails and boat ride. read more

DeLeon Spring State Park - Parks Near Me - De Leon Springs, Florida

Reached capacity before 10:30. We now are waiting for a minimum of 1 hr 30 min to enter the park without a bathroom in sight. read more

DeLeon Spring State Park - Line to get in. Waiting for people to leave - Parks Near Me - De Leon Springs, Florida

I happen to be lucky enough to live within walking distance of this beautiful place. The spring is well maintained and the grounds are always clean. This spring is unique in that it has a spillway from the spring to the lake. This keeps fish out of the "swimming hole" so you don't have to worry about that. The water is always cold (73 degrees) due to it being a natural spring so expect that if you go here to swim. During cooler times manatee can be seen around the spillway of the spring. Make sure to save time to visit the pancake house for a bite to eat and also take the boat tour of the lake to see wild life like alligators and even an eagle. read more

The wife and I came to this park with my sister and her husband and twin 5 yr old boys. What a great time for the family. The park is home to a natural springs and they have an area where the springs come up where you can swim. Since this is spring fed, the water is crystal clear! So if you plan to head this way, DON"T forget the swim suit. Also, being spring fed the water stays at a constant temperature year round - so are you brave enough to brave the cooler days? We rented a canoe and my sister and her family rented a paddle boat. We then took off down the spring fed river to watch wildlife and natural beauty. My wife and I took of near the shore and you could see fish taking off literally everywhere. They do allow fishing there as well (thought we did not fish). There are also nature trails available for taking in even more scenery. For a fun day out enjoying nature, and taking a swim in order to cool off, this a great area to go and visit. One last thing, leave early and hungry and make reservations at the Old Saw Mill and Griddle House while you are there for a fun time in making your own pancakes for brunch! read more

We took the 1hr drive to try it out on Sun. It was $6 to park for a family of 3. It was super crowded! We got there around 10 am. We went to check out the old sugar mill pancake house and found out it was a 2 1/2 hr wait! So we decided to leave and get IHOP. When we finish and came back the park was closed and there was a line you can sit in to wait. Never again read more

Making Pancakes at DeLeon Springs If you ever wanted to spend the morning swimming in a spring fed pool, and then grill your own lunch on a sweltering griddle, then DeLeon Springs is probably one of the few places you can get your fix. On this Sunday morning, the park was jam packed, and there was a wait for the Sugar Mill restaurant, so we spent our wait swimming in the 72 degree water. It was murky from all the swimmers, and we couldn't see the bottom, even with snorkels and masks, but the water was nice and cool, and by the time we were done, they were calling our names. The set-up in the restaurant was pretty neat, although you're essentially paying for the privilege to cook your own breakfast. The thing to order is pancakes, and they bring two types of batter, a white and a wheat, and any toppings you want. We had bacon and eggs too, which sizzled and popped on the hot griddle in the middle of our table. Even though it was baking outside, there was no AC in the Sugar Mill, and all the windows were open wide, with screens to keep the bugs out. Ceiling fans turned lazy circles above us while we grilled up walnut and blueberry pancakes. I remember thinking they were some of the best pancakes I've had - and I'm not too big on breakfasts. There are some places which seem unique. Sitting on the screened porch, listening to bacon fry and the fans hum, it really felt like The South, whatever that means. And that's why, I assume, people go - lining up for the privilege of sweating over a borrowed griddles on a hot July day. The only sour spot was that the park was full when we tried to enter, and we were told to drive around and come back. We came back 10 minutes later to see them letting cars in, and we almost didn't make it under the cut-off. At other state parks I've been to, they let you queue up when the park is full. Oh well. read more

I traveled to DeLeon Springs State Park the Friday before Memorial Day, arrived shortly after 9 am. I was very impressed with the entrance to the park, it was one of the most impressive that I have seen from a Florida State Park. A nice map style painting of the state of Florida is on the side of the park office as you drive up. Delon Springs has miles of trails, the Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant, boat tours, kayak rentals, and of course a swimming area in the springs itself. I wrote a separate review for the Sugar Mill restaurant, I highly recommend it. While there I hiked some of the trails and swam in the spring for about an hour. The Monkey Island Trail was a short back and forth trial and the Wild Persimmon Trail was much longer, I did not hike the entire loop. If there has been significant rainfall expect standing water and mud on the trails, they are fairly nice. The only downside was the spring itself. The water was unusually cloudy and had a lot of white material that almost looked like mucus that was in the water coming out of the spring and was free floating around. The conditions were similar to what I heard was pollution that occurred in other springs before, but without results from water testing, there is no way to say for certain for sure. I have never seen anything like it in other springs, it was not appealing. Overall I did have a good time. read more

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This place is really cool. The water is cool and there's many sets of stairs to climb into the springs. The kids loved floating around and looking for turtles. read more

Fun place! I have a lot of parties and the park is overall just beautiful! So much to say and all are positive. In fact, this is where o learned to swim when I was younger so this place just holds a place in my heart. LOL! read more

Very beautiful park, with an easy and simple spring. The park and staff were great, but I came primarily for the spring. Here the water is 72° and is clean. However, unlike other springs, this pool of fresh water is separated from the rest of the lake by a gated waterfall, meaning there's next to zero wildlife in the spring (I literally only saw one small turtle 12' down, nothing else). It's basically a giant fresh water pool, but don't get me wrong, it's still very nice. It's a great place to go for a swim without the threat of gators in the back of your mind, and the height of the spring let me practice my diving (goes as deep as thirty feet, I only did half that though). Clarity is good, but there isn't much to look at after a while. I would recommend for family time as the water is very safe and clean, children will love the clean water and parents can relax and picnic on the grass or benches, but underwater explorers can pass this one up if not in area. The park has a long rich history, so if you're in the area and like to learn and read, stop by. read more

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Thanks to Yelp, my recent family visit was enhanced by a trip here, where I first read a review about Deleon Springs a few weeks ago. We had a wonderful time creating our pancakes, partaking in the scenic eco-boat tour and even swimming in the (cold!) springs pool. My family visits 1-2x a year from overseas, and we're always looking for fun places to go that are 'out of the norm' and this was a winner...affordable, old 'real' Florida fun! read more

Not a lot to see here, but it's a nice place. The spring is kinda setup like a pool, it has a concrete retaining wall around the perimeter. Water is chilly as to be expected but great for swimming. They have outdoor pavilions, restrooms, walking trails and a restaurant that I've to to try out. read more

This is truly a hidden gem basically in the middle of nowhere!! This park has some of the most beautiful giant oak trees that I've ever seen, they look like they've been growing here since the Indians were running things in these parts. This is a great park if you want to just come and reflect and relax with a book under one of the beautiful oak trees or bring the family for a nice weekend picnic. They have an incredible natural spring swimming pool that is in 70 degrees temp range all year long. The water is crystal clear and extremely refreshing. During the summer months it can get really crowded especially on the weekends so if you want to avoid the large crowds you need to pick your time wisely and come during those off peak times. They have nice grass areas surrounding the pool where you can lay out a blanket under one of the massive oaks to relax and watch the kids enjoy the spring. It is an excellent place to come and beat the heat. We came to the park to go to the old sugar mill that they've converted into a cook your own pancake breakfast place. Now if your expecting a fancy breakfast spot then you need to keep looking, but if your open to an authentic sugar mill with no air conditioning and some real old charm then this is your spot. It can get a little warm in there with all the table top griddles going, so if that sounds like a problem you might want to plan your trip for the fall when the temperature has dropped some. The pancake batter is real old school style that is brought to the table in pitchers where you pour your own and cook on the griddle, complete with spatula and all. Pretty much all the meals are ones you have to cook yourself, like eggs, BLT, etc... that are easily made in minutes on the griddle. Expect long lines with 2-3 hour wait times being very common. Don't get too discouraged though, they have a vey nice boat tour that takes you out on the river with a guide that is thoroughly versed in the local wildlife and foliage. Once you've put your name in for the restaurant then you go and buy your ticket for the boat tour and if they end up calling your name while out on the boat tour the hold your place in line so that your table is awaiting you once you get off the boat. Just be sure to let them know I. The restaurant that you will be taking the boat tour and they will hold your place! Be sure to check the website before you go to Check restaurant hours and boat tour times ahead of your visit but believe me you won't regret your trip there!! Make sure you go when not in a hurry and you have some hours to spend in the park and restaurant and I promise you will not be disappointed!! Very nice! read more

DeLeon has a fantastically kept swimming area, although it gets very crowded during the summer months. Arrive early, before the park gets to full capacity! It is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon or day with the family. read more

DeLeon Spring State Park - Stetson students at DeLeon! - Parks Near Me - De Leon Springs, Florida

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What a Gem!!!!! This State Park is a great place to spend the entire day. Plan to arrive when the park opens to get a nice spot near the 72 degree "Spring" lake. Have a do it yourself delicious, reasonable pancake breakfast at The sugar Mill. Take a narrated historic boat ride or just canoe or kayak at your leisure. When that is finished, relax under a huge tree and read a book. Bring all your items for a picnic or bbq and make memories. read more

This place is wonderful you can go kayaking , canoeing , and their is a tour boat. There's a pancake house the only down side is the wait time , but while waiting you can go swimming in the spring. There's an abundant of shade from the trees which is even better and there are picnic tables all spread out. You can also rent a pavilion. I had a wonderful experience here even though I got rained on while kayaking i think that's what made it more fun. read more

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By far our fav restaurant in all of FL. It's our first stop whenever we are in the region! We ADORE this place!!!!! Be sure to try the thick sugar cured bacon!!! Oh my goodness. If you have time also be sure to take the wildlife cruise. read more

Nice place to have an early breakfast, and make the pancakes yourself. Food great and the bacon! Boat ride goes along the river, trails walk around. You can even go fishing and swimming ! Sometimes you might see a gator! Take a lot of pictures. read more

Very nice. Love the concept of DIY at a restaurant and the fact we shared an area with a couple enthusiastic locals made it more fin. Join in have fun. Eat. Play. Relax enjoy read more

What a fun day! My husband and I move around a lot and the first thing we always do in a new location is check out local restaurants and parks because it's a great way to understand your area and meet new people. This place is no exception! After reading some reviews it was obvious we needed to get here really early and make a stop at the little restaurant for some pancakes too. (For my review see that page. BTW, they were fantastic) Our first impression, however, was a sour one after being rudely received at the front gate. When we first pulled up we assumed she would just let us in; we read it was free park day and assumed all parks had free entry. She didnt even say anything to us, just stood their arms folded glaring at all and wouldnt open the gates. My husband was driving so he tried being nice w/ 'hello, how are you?' hoping to get her to say something. She said 'hello' back and then nothing else. It was like pulling teeth. After a few more awkward moments she barks at him ''6 bucks'' as if he should have known and it was literally killing her to have to speak. (Even if it wasnt free park day we wouldnt have known the cost) So he responds 'it's free park day, isnt it free?' You would have thought he threatened to kill her. "$6 sir, this ain't no national park. 6 bucks and Ill open the gate.'' Meanest lady I've met in FL so far, that's for sure! I didnt see her name but she was average build & height, middle aged, long black hair, very dark skin. Fortunatly the bad luck ended with her. We paid her the '6 bucks' and drove in, found a spot, and made our way down for some pancakes. After breakfast we went back to the car for our stuff and then found a spot on the grass near the water. We spent a good 3 hrs in the water, although getting into the water is a whole other story! When you hear that the water is 72* year round most people would think that's ok, nothing to worry about, maybe even a bit warm. NOPE! It's like ice water! I love cold water, I never take hot showers (not even in the winter when I lived up north), and I hate pools unless they're cold. This water was tough getting in to. Took me about 10 min and my husband (hates cold water) about 15. Meanwhile all the kids all seemed to love it as they ran past us down the stairs, didnt phase them at all. There was one boy who stuck his toe in and ran away; I later saw him snorkeling though. We brought our snorkels even though we figured there wouldnt be anything to see. I didnt take mine off the whole time I was in the water. I had such a fun time swimming along the bottom looking at all the shells (just small snail shells) and at this giant sunken log/tree. There's a 3ft area for kids that's roped off. Then the outer area is about 5-6 feet deep, then the pit opens up to 30ft. I didnt go into the pit. I kept thinking about giant sea monsters; I'm a bit of a chicken. When you get close to the pit (underwater) there's really pretty rays of light all over the place and it's really something special to see. THe pit itself is so dark you you cant see into it. It's also worth noting that it's impossible (for me anyway) to dive more then 7ft without your head feeling like it's going to explode. The bottom of the water (what you stand on) is mostly sand and moss. The moss was really pretty to look at up close but from up top it just looks really dark. The sunken tree was my favorite place to explore. I hardly noticed the time fly by. We left around 2:30 when the heat started getting to high. Next time we go back we'll have to rent a boat and explore the river too. There's a sign that says the boats are roughly $10 for 30 mins I think. It was hard to read, might have said for half a day. read more

Cheeseburger wasn't well done as they said it would be but everything else was fine. The pancakes that you make at your table are delicious pick your own toppings I make as many as you want. They bring pictures of batter to your table and it's all you can eat. read more

DeLeon Spring State Park - What a beautiful place to be on a sunny day. So peaceful and enjoying natural Florida - Parks Near Me - De Leon Springs, Florida

Ok This spring has a swimming area designed to be like a pool. My wife made us rent a paddle boat to work off the pancakes. You have a great area to see gators, birds and all kinds of wild life. Most days it is really busy and you need to get there early if you want to have the pancakes. read more

I have the luxury of living 2 minutes away from this beautifull state park which me and my family visit often in the summer. Cool 72 degree clear clean water all year round is just what the doctor ordered when the thermometer reaches 90 degrees! I love to fish and this place has an abundance of opportunities. Canoe and Kayak rentals available and some very nice nature trails to stroll on as well. The Old Spanish Sugar Mill serves up terrific breakfast and sandwiches for lunch! What more can you ask for?..... Love it!!! read more

Was nice till the bad rain storm. Then took shelter under the pavilion. The worker came kicked us out instead of offering those with small children a ride to their cars. I couldn't see it was raining so hard. So my 3 small kids and I walked back to the car. Nice park, but like previous reviews the staff is unfortunately very rude. The lady at the gate is just miserable and I feel bad that she has such a bad time at work. I'm sure rude people don't help her to have a better disposition. read more

BEWARE OF THE TICKS! This was our first time here. We went to check out the hiking trails. The area was beautiful but there was an over abundance of ticks! My husband found three on himself, there were four on me and over twenty on our dog! Both my husband and myself were wearing bug spray/tick repellent and our dog had just had his monthly tick repellent treatment three days prior. We wouldn't go back here for hiking but it was a beautiful park and was very clean. read more

Came here on a Sunday and paid $6 at the entrance for 2 people. There's plenty of space to sunbathe and even a good spot to hammock. There's a neat restaurant there that had a 2hr wait- you could hear on an intercom the announcements of parties that need to be seated. Restaurant had griddles in the middle of the tables where you could make your own pancakes (only $4.95). Bathrooms were clean and it was overall a very nice spring to visit. read more

These springs are ok. Yet i still gave it a 5 star bc its employees are very friendly, the kidd swimming area is very nice, and lots of grills for everyone. I say ok bc the rest of the swimming are is crushed lime stone bottom. Not very nice on the feet. read more

My review is Delayed by 35 years. In 1977, i took my 2 oldest daughters, wyn & valerie, to the Park with their Indian Princess Unit and had one of the most memorable experience of a weekend of camping that we still talk about 35 years later. It was FANTASTICALLYMARVELLOUS and will never be forgotten. NOW, i have a Question for anyone who might read this review. One of the most talked about events of the weekend was All our Fascination with the Peacock population that was there during our stay. From the beauty of the male's Spray of Colorful Tail feathers to the way they all, as large as they were ascended into the tree for a night of safety from Predators. As i read materials on the Park today there is No MENTION of Peacocks. Where did they go or were they removed for some REASON?? Any hlp in this matter will be deeply appreciated. THANKS! john read more

What a great unique experience! DeLeon Springs is an amazing place to visit and is well known for its unique restaurant that allows you to cook your own pancakes and eggs, if you choose, at your table. Expect a long wait to be seated! While you are waiting, you can swim in the Spring or you can walk along the beautiful nature trails (just keep track of the time to come back for them to call you to your table). Each table at the restaurant has a griddle installed in the center. The very friendly waitresses bring you two kinds of pancake batter - whole grain and regular. If you choose to order eggs, they bring them to you uncooked and you cook them yourself on the same griddle to your own liking. Orders for sausage or bacon come to the table already cooked. You can add fruit and other toppings to cook into your pancakes and you can top your pancakes with butter, maple syrup, molasses, or honey. It was a really fun experience! read more

good price for the park itself being smallish, spring was very pretty and cold. lots of things to do and cheap

My coworkers and I came here on a staff retreat. We stopped by Sugarmill for some kick butt pancakes. We planned on kayaking afterwards, but that unfortunately didn't happen. There were 7 coworkers, including a pregnant one. The woman who greeted us at the rental shack was extremely rude. It was the worst customer service I have personally ever experienced... We had questions about the pricing and as we asked, she rolled her eyes. We also were left to take down the paddles, boats and launch on our own (even the pregnant woman was expected to do this). We were not told where to launch from, given any instruction, and no one asked if we had any prior experience. After waiting for 15 minutes for someone to assist us with the kayaks, I went back to the rental area and asked the woman if the time had already started (since we only were renting for an hour), and where we were to put the kayaks in and if we could get any help with bringing the kayaks down. When she told another employee to help us, he threw down what he was working on, sighed and put his head back (as if it was the biggest inconvenience). I then said " Ok, nevermind. Sorry, if that was such an inconvenience". Then as I walked back to my coworkers, he followed and as I told them about my awful experience, he said to us "Don't talk about what you don't know about!". We collectively decided that enough was enough and we needed to get out of there. We later spoke with a manager, who was very friendly and professional. The manager apologized for the terrible service, and also informed us that the wind was so strong that only experienced kayakers should have been allowed on the river (WHY WERE WE NOT INFORMED ABOUT THIS BEFORE?) *side note* I found it weird how every other time I have rented kayaks, at other locations, they have employees who take down kayaks, account for the equipment and usually ask about experience level and give a demonstration if needed. We absolutely loved The Sugar Mill, however I will never rent from the Park again! I do wonder if the Sugar Mill is operated/affiliated with the same staff that helps run the park, because the service at the restaurant is just so wonderful! read more